In the 1970s and 80s, the department embraced technological innovation and international collaboration.
- Professors Robert Kok, G.S.V. Raghavan, Shiv Prasher, and Chandra Madramootoo advanced fields from computer systems and post-harvest technology to water management and soil conservation.
- In 1985, Dr. Suzanne Barrington became the first woman in Canada to earn a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering.
- The Centre for Drainage Studies (1987) became a hub for global collaboration and later merged with the Brace Research Institute in 2000 to form the Brace Centre for Water Resources Management, led by Professor Madramootoo.
During this period, the department gained international recognition for contributions to sustainable agriculture, with faculty working in the West Indies, Africa, and Asia.
By the 1990s, under Professor Vijaya Raghavan, the department modernized its curriculum to include mechatronics, food processing, biomaterials, and environmental monitoring. In 1995, it was renamed Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. New faculty brought expertise in soil and water, structures, environment, and food engineering.
In 2004, the undergraduate program was officially accredited as the B.Eng. in Bioresource Engineering, cementing the department’s new identity.